Odisha CID sets up second team to probe deaths of Russians

The CID of Odisha Police has constituted a second team to probe the recent deaths of two Russian tourists in the state, according to an officer familiar with the developments.

Updated on: Dec 30, 2022, 02:22:38 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Odisha Police has constituted a second team to probe the recent deaths of two Russian tourists in the state, according to an officer familiar with the developments.

Russian lawmaker and industrialist Pavel Antov allegedly fell to his death from the second floor of a hotel in Odisha’s Rayagada on December 24.

The team, headed by a deputy superintendent of police-ranked officer, and also comprising a forensic expert, will visit Rayagada – where the deaths took place – to examine witnesses and identify and collect evidence from the spot.

The first team is currently stationed in Cuttack to interrogate those having links with the deceased, the officer said.

Russian lawmaker and industrialist Pavel Antov allegedly fell to his death from the second floor of a hotel in Rayagada on December 24. Antov, who was critical in June of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war with Ukraine before changing his stance, was found dead on the premises of Sai International Hotel in Rayagada, two days after his 61-year-old friend Vlaidmir Bidenov died of a heart attack in the same hotel on December 22.

Antov arrived in Rayagada on December 21 with Bidenov and a Russian couple, Mikhail Turov and Natalia Panasenko.

A senior CID officer said during the course of interrogation by the first team in Cuttack, Turov and Panasenko revealed some information about Antov and Bidenov’s family.

“CID is in the process of contacting them so as to cross-check the veracity of information collected during the examination. The CID team is continuing with the examination of Panasenko and Turov and trying to ascertain the exact sequence of events that took place,” the officer said on condition of anonymity.

“Both the Russian tourists are fully cooperating with the enquiry. Efforts are being made to collect medical health records of the deceased persons. The team has further examined their tourist guide-cum-interpreter Jitender Singh and tried to ascertain the veracity of the chain of events and crosscheck it with the information collected from Russian nationals,” the officer added.

ALSO READ: ‘Burnt bodies tell no tales’: Congress MP on cremation of dead Russian tourists

A case of unnatural death was registered in both the deaths.

Antov’s post-mortem report said he died due to a rupture of the left lung, liver and spleen, leading to haemorrhagic shock. Bidenov’s post-mortem report said that his death was caused by a cardio-respiratory failure triggered by a “cardiogenic cause”. HT has seen both the post-mortem reports.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.